Tattered Cover Book Store

Some people buy T-shirts and shot glasses on their travels.

I buy Christmas ornaments and books.

Honestly, nothing makes me happier than roaming around an independent bookstore on vacation, especially when it’s in a great building.

Tattered Cover Book Store is a Denver landmark and one of the best bookstores I’ve ever seen.

They’ve been in business since 1971, starting with one location and growing to several in the Denver area.

The selection is extensive and impressive. It’s also well organized and easy to navigate.

A handful of strategically placed chairs invite shoppers to linger and a greeter at the door is available to explain safety rules.

One thing that really sets them apart is that staff picks can be found throughout the store. These selections are identified by a card that explains why they recommend the book.

I wish every book store did this!

If you’re ever in the Denver area and enjoy a great bookstore, look up Tattered Cover Book Store. Click here to learn more!

An Unusual Fall

This has been an unusual fall.

Many summer flowers continue to bloom and this gorgeous tree still has all its leaves despite the fact its neighbors dropped theirs long ago.

It’s a little odd to see pansies and roses blooming next to pumpkins but it’s nice too.

We should appreciate whatever life and beauty and unexpected goodness we can find around us.

Winter is coming.

Denver Adventure

Last week took me to Denver to meet a friend for adventure. This was a toned down version of the cancelled summer trip that was supposed to include a flight to Denver and road trip home.

The road trip got nixed but I still got to spend several days with my friend.

Honestly, nothing about this trip went as planned as Covid has wreaked havoc on everyone’s plans and my friend had an injury that slowed us down.

But I got to spend time with my friend, we ate well, shopped some and did a few other fun things along the way.

I’m normally on the go a lot when I travel. After all, you can sleep when you’re dead. But it was sort of nice having some time to stretch out on the couch with a book, watch a little tv and just take things slower.

More than anything, I felt bad for my friend that her vacation was ruined.

There is no shortage of things to do in Denver so we are already talking about a sequel trip sometime after Covid fears die down.

The good news is that we did enter this adventure with low expectations as we didn’t know what might be Covid closed or that we simply wouldn’t feel comfortable doing because of Covid concerns.

The picture above was taken along a stream near historic Golden, Colorado. She wasn’t up for a hiking trail but we did find a paved bike path with access to the stream so we could safely walk and still get close to nature.

It wasn’t the plan but it was a good compromise that still brought us joy and entertainment. Sometimes that’s what it takes when things don’t go our way- compromise. This is a good lesson for us all to remember as we head into what promises to be a challenging Covid season.

I fear that we all will need to compromise a lot before this winter is over.

Travel Makes You Humble

Travel makes you modest. It helps you realize what a small place you occupy in this world. Sometimes it helps you see how fortunate you are and occasionally you see how much better life can be.

I’m home now from an adventure and will start sharing some stories and pictures as soon as I can!

Enjoy this day, friends, and be safe out there.

Village Market

It’s inviting, isn’t it?

For a while, there were a couple of guys sitting here just watching the day go by and it made me feel at peace.

It’s in Gambier, just down the street from the Amish folks who sold me some goodies. The town has a number of local shops and restaurants with some sidewalk space. These types of establishments lend character to the town and give visitors cause to slow down and even linger a while.

That is my kind of place.

Look Up

Here’s another reason why you should look up and all around.

This is a small space between buildings in downtown Lancaster. I think the installation is gone now but it was such a treat to walk through and many people didn’t even know it existed because they simply weren’t aware of their surroundings.

It was like a special secret for the aware.

What secrets have you found in your world?